Burning of sulphur



Feb. 26, 1946.

H. G. JAMES BURNING oF sULPHUR File@ Jan. 2s, 1942 mhw u `GlLyndur James,

- fice orthe nozzle.

der pressure to the ,jacketed `pipe is forced,

Patented Feb. 26, 1946 UNITED STAT-Es PATENT ori-"ICE BIJRNNG` OF SULPHUR Hector'Glyn'dwr .ames, Birmingham,'Engiand,

assignor to Imperial ChemicalIndustriesLimited, :a corporation of Great'V Britain App1icauon-January2s, 194,2, serial No. 428,541 InLGreat Britain January 29, 1941 2"Cla,rnS. (Cl. 299-119) -This inventionrelatesv .to improvements in. sulphur burning. apparatus.

L Many proposals .have been Y. rnade to produce sulphur dioxide .bythe combustion of moltensulphur which hasbeen sprayed into. air .under suitable temperature conditions.l In one apparatus forlthis purpose a spray burner isemployed comprising 'a steam jacketed .pipe terminating in a nozzle. Within .thepipe there is provided an axiallydisposed rod having fon .the end near the nozzlea. peripheral spiral of` diminishing diame ter` ending in a needle point ttingrinto the ori- VMolten sulphur supplied unthrough the oriceto .emerge as a spray with a whirling motion imparted by the spiral, and by operating the axial rodthe position of thencedle relativeto the orifice, and thus the-feed of sulphur, can be regulated.

`Itis frequently'found that \such.an apparatus carbonisation ofthe small amounts of bitumen which are normally present in naturally occurring sulphury the carbonised bitumen causing blocking in the orifice. In thev abovetype of apparatus such blockages can "only be remedied by interfering with the `setting' of the oiice 'regulating the/"supply of sulphur, and thus resetting ofthe apparatus is required after each blockage.

lAccording to the present invention Twe provide an atomizing device'for molten sulphur comprising'a jacketed tube having-a short'distance Within-one `end an axially disposed oriiice, means for supplying steam to the Yjacketya'longitudinally adjustable dtube f arranged coaxially Within the jacketed tubeterminating near v the said orifice and dividing the said` jacketedtube' into aninner central channel -andan outer annular channel, meansf for supplyingcompressed'air to the central ffchannel, means `for supplying molten sul- `phur'under'pressureto the annularfchannel and meanslior regulatingtthe .position'sof the longitu-` dinallyiadjustableftube.relative to said orifice so `as Yto regulate the "supply io'finoltenfsulphur to the orifice. Advantageouslyxanaxially disposed longitudinally1adjustable:rod lis;provided AWithin Suitably Athe orifice' is formed .by a plugin the jacketed l tube. having. an axially disposed "hole iiared .on the. inner `tace, and the longitudinally adjustabletube has` adiameter intermediate between thatof the maximumand minimum'diameters .of the.`flared portion. The f disposition 'of the oricewithin the jacketed tube serves toprotectlthe. region of the orifice .from .the fullradiation from .theamesfformed oncombustion of the spray, and thusithe` sulphur 4doesnot as read'- ilyv enter the viscous statev in passing' through'I the orifice. The spacing of the yoriiicelis not critical` for this resultto `be achieved, but suitably theinner face of the plug is spaced within the'jacketed tube by a distance'between oneand four internal diameters of the latter.

In using .this apparatus the sulphur is .delivered to. the .oriceA through' the spacelbet'weenthe plug and the adjustable' tube and the compressed air` is .supplied through the adjustable "tube to bringabout its atomization' by adjusting the., position of the adjustable tube relative to .the oriiice and by regulating the supply of compressed air an adequate control of thesulphur sprayfcan be attained. The spray exercises a coolingefect in the region. of the nozzle and this, togetherwith the shielding resulting from locating Jtheorfice within the tube, .enables the temperature in that region to be maintained'low enoughtoprevent the sulphur from becoming viscous, `andthe biturnen from earbOniZing. "In thejpreferred form of our'. invention in `whichthe central rod` is provided terminating. in means for imparting Aa whirling motion,.`a lfurther 'fmeadjustment flthe sulphur spray can be obtained by moving. therod relative to thebrice. This saine'movernentof the' spiralralso Ymakes it possible todislodge'any partially carbonised .bitumen which forms and sticksv in the nozzle'in spite ofthe improvements designed to repress this occurrence; thus the nozzle can be `cleaned Without interfering with the main` adjustment.ofthesulphur supply. As a result of the'mprovements which constitute our invention,V a :steady production oflhot molten sulphur spray 4can be.maintainedforgreatly extended periods, so that 'the .production of' sulphur dioxide canritselfbe conducted in a more eiiicient manner .than hitherto.

One formnf apparatus according to the inventionis. shown, chieily in section, in the accompanying drawing. v p

In this drawing! represents a .cylindricalltuba having a jacket 2 through `which steam vcan'be to subsequently. 'I'he plug is situated so that the end of the steamv jacket extends beyond the inner side of the orifice by about 11/2 times the Adameter of the jacketed tube I, thereby protecting that region from the extremely high temperatures existing just beyond the tube where the sulphur ignites. `Tube I has an inlet through which molten sulphur can be supplied under pressure by means not shown. The temperature of the inlet pipe can be maintained by a steam jacket continuous with jacket 2 surrounding tube I.

At the end of tube I is a iiange 6 to which is bolted end plate 'I carrying an air tube 8, the gasket I9 ensuring an airtight connection. On

the outer face of the end plate 'I is a centrally;

disposed stuffing box 9 and a straddle I0, in the top of which is a hole threaded to engage the externally threaded portion of a short tube 28 rigidly attached to hand wheel II. Tube 8 passing movably through tube 20 and stuffing box 8 extends into tube I almost to the' inner iiare of plug I8, and is of slightly less diameter than the widest portion of that are. Collars 2I and 22 are rigidly attached to tube 8 one immediately beyond either end of tube 20 and thus by rotating wheel II the end of tube 8 can be made to approach or recede from the flared orifice in plug I8, and the iiow of molten sulphur from tube I through the orifice thereby regulated.

An inlet I2 for compressed air is provided in a portion of the tube 8 extending outside of tube I, and at the end of the tube 8 is a stufling box I3 through which a rod I4' passes into it, and extends down to the end adjacent to the plug I8; Rod I4 has on its end an external'triple spiral thread I5 part of which is inside tube 8 and part of which is Within the flared portion of the orice in plug I8. At the other end of rod I4 is a handle I'I by-which rod I4 and thus spiral thread I5 can be rotated or moved longitudinally. VThe atomizer carries a plate I6 by `which it can be xed in position in a sulphur. burner. In using this apparatus it is fixed in position in a sulphur burner, and the air tube 8 is adjusted to leave a small annular gapbetween its outside surface and the surface of the flared orifice. SteamatV a suitable pressure is then supplied to the jacket 2 to maintain the latter at a temperature at which the molten sulphur is mobile, e..g. at 135 to 150 C. Compressed air is nextrsupplied to inlet I2 and then molten sulphur is supplied under a less pressure through inlet 5 tothe annular channel between tubes I and 8.. The compressed aira may, if desired, belpreheated, e. g. at a temperature up to 300 C., or it may be supplied cold, in which case it will behearted by the surrounding jacket of molten sulphur; in passing between the individual threads of the member I5 and the orifice in plug I8 the air causes molten sulphur flowing through the annular gap between tube 8 and plug I8 to be entrained 4and atomized and thus pass into the combustion chamber as spray. The combustion chamber (not shown) is, of course, prov videdin the customary manner with a supply for theremainder of the airnecessary to burn thev thoughV where a fine regulation is needed this can be done by adjusting the position of the spiral'threads I5, by operating handle'l'l. cause the orifice in plug I8 is shielded from the heat of the burning sulphur in the combustion chamber by the projecting portion of steam jacket 2, the' formation of carbonised bitumen, or viscous sulphur in that region will belunlikely, andthe main cause of irregularities in supply will be largely suppressed. If, however,`

*T* l. In an vatomizing device the combination which comprises a tube having means defining an axially disposed orifice ared at its innermost end, a second tube having an inside diameter greater than the diameterhofA said oriiice ar- Vranged axially within the first-named tube thereby to' provide a central channel for comvpressed gas and anouter annular channel for liquid, said inner tube having an end terminat-` ing near said orifice in a conical portion conforming to the shape of said ared portion of the orifice said end havingY an inside diameter greater than the diameter of said oriiice, means whereby said inner tube may be adjusted axially with respect to said oriiice as required to adjust the flow of liquid from said annular channel through said orice, a rod extending from the exterior of said device axially through said 'sec, ond-named tube and terminating adjacents'aid orifice, said rod being free of obstructions td the flow of gas in said tube and being slidably mounted for reciprocation to and from said orifice, and a tapered screw attached `tothe terminal end of said rod adapted to be positioned *by reciprocation of "said rod with its point inv said orifice and its base in said second tube whereby the air and the liquid of the. comingled air and liquid are caused to whirl.Y Y

2. In an atomizing device the combination which comprises a tube having means defining an axially disposed orifice, a second tube having. an inside diameter greater than the diameter of said orice arranged axially within Vthe iirst-named tube thereby to provide a central channel for cornpressed gas and an outer annular channel for liquid, said inner tube having an end terminating near said orice, said end having ,an inside diameter greater than the diameter of said orifice, means whereby said inner tubeImay be adjusted aixally withrrespect to said orifice as required to adjust the ilow of liquid from said annularchannel through said orifice, a rod extending from the exterior of said device axially through said second-named tube and terminate ing adjacent said oriiice, means whereby said rod may be adjusted axially with respect to said orifice, 'and a tapered screw attached to the terminal end of said rod adapted to be positioned by adjusting said rod with its point in said oriiice and its base in said second Atube whereby the air and the liquid of the co-mingled vair and liquid are caused to whirl. n l

HECTOR GLYNDWR JAMES. 

